Western Railroad Discussion > Did UP Consider Selling the Texas & Pacific Mainline

I could’ve sworn I read or heard somewhere that Union Pacific initially thought about selling the old Texas & Pacific line between Fort Worth and El Paso when they took over Southern Pacific in the 90s. Is this true or did I just dream this up? Doesn’t seem wise to even think of such looking back, but hindsight is always 20/20.

Might’ve been a Montana Rail Link situation down here if they had’ve.

Posted from iPhone

Well, you might have heard it, but believe me, it was without substance!

Remember that the T & P ended at Sierra Blanca where it used trackage rights on the SP to get to its yard in El Paso.  The T & P-SP connection was so important to the UP that they have changed the turnout at Sierra Blanca from straight/higher speed towards San Antonio/SP to straight towards Ft Worth/T & P.  The T & P's stick rail and ABS/Train Order operation has also been upgraded.
G

 

As reported above, the T&P is the dominant route and always has been since the UP/SP link up.It carries three or four times the intermodal volume  than the T&NO, including all of the hot Z’s east of Sierra Bianca. I’m uncertain as to the manifest count but  my best bet is that it’s about equal on the west end with both routes picking up substantial traffic on the eastern side. T&P generates a significant amount of petroleum product out of the Permian Basin and T&NO (including BNSF trackage rights trains) generates a good deal of Mexican interchange activity at Eagle Pass with Feromex.
Al and all  the T&P has given UP a superior competitive route between California the Southwest and the Southeast.
 

So important was the T&P to UP it has been rebuilt from Ft Worth west.  112.5 pound welded rail and 110 ; lb.   stick rail were replaced with 132 wellded rail, CTC installed from Clyde Tx to Sierra Blanca,  Several new passing sidings  and lenghtened sidings give the route good speed.  In west Texas I have run 75 MPH beside some trains.    Just like the history of the line from the past, from Pecos east,  much  traffic is generated headed east and quite a bit of westbound manifests terminate in Odessa.  Hard to believe the amount that terminates and originates there.  and .Monahans.

It was thought at one time to double track El Paso to Ft Worth.  Then later, Pecos to Ft Worth, then Sweetwater to Ft Worth and finally Ranger to Ft Worth.  Instead more sidings and  longer ones got the treatment.  Double track was probably nixed when daily traffic on the sunset dropped from the mid 50's into the low 40's.

Some years ago Trains magazine had a great story on the T&P West Texas line.  Prior to the merger it was a very long industrial siding line.

I remember it being in very poor shape and slightly used. I also remember UP doing major renovations to the line when they took over. I doubt UP ever considering getting rid of it. What about the SP?

Posted from Android

The line was pretty sleepy before UP absorbed SP.  Things changed radically after that.  

Is the ex-MP yard in El Paso still used for anything?  I believe it was a stub-ended yard.  

I don't know about the "stubb end" but, it did have a street crossing in the middle of the yard that made switching hell.  See picture of Cotton St yard.

I don't know if the yard still exists.  Anyone know?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/19 08:03 by tomstp.

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tomstp Wrote:
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> I don't know about the "stubb end" but, it did have a street crossing in the middle of the yard that made switching hell.  See picture of Cotton St yard. I don't know if the yard still exists.  Anyone know?

Here's a recent aerial photograph.  Cotton St. is now an overpass, which is ironic since I'm sure the yard is now a lot less busy than it used to be.  The yard appears to be stub-ended on the west end.   

https://goo.gl/maps/X7paEmn8vf62xRHV9



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/19 08:41 by CA_Sou_MA_Agent.